Storyscaping

I'll admit it: I'm wiped out! But I wanted to leave you all with a final bit of encouragement before I break for the summer, so after some introductory remarks, here's the rough script to another trailer idea I worked on. Can you hear the difference in the sound? The "sonic ID" I recorded with the Shurt SM7b, and had Katie's help making me sound my best. The middle bit I recorded with the Shure MV88+ in my car, in my parking garage at work. It sounds OK. Then the actual "story inside you" script I think I recorded on my phone in the closet — just for workshopping purposes, didn't have time to re-record. Also, I did this episode in an hour and a half at the hotel in Mexico for our friends' wedding! Here's to hitting deadlines, letting good enough be good enough, and having time to really take a break. See you in September for season two.

What is it that gives narrative podcasting its unique power for intimate connection with listeners? In previous episodes, we talked about two key elements: words (scriptwriting and editing), and the voice (recording and narration). In this episode, we talk about the third key element: music.

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Show notes:

• I ran out of time to list these in the episode, but had a whole thread on Voxer with two of my friends about musical memories. Two other standouts for me were my sister bringing pop music into the Davis household for the first time, the Beatles' '62-66 greatest hits on those red cassette tapes. Then hearing Paul Simon's Graceland on my friend's record player under a blanket fort. And third, banging on the dashboard of my friend's old VW GTI to the opening tom-tom hits of the Eagles' Hotel California.
• using famous songs in your podcast: blog post ("no, but..."), fair use, creative commons, etc.
• What makes us human?

How do you explain your job to a kid? How do our career choices affect who we become as people? And how do our day jobs shape our approach to personal creative projects? If you've ever faced these questions yourself — or were just dying to hear about working in corporate marketing — this one's for you.

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Show notes:

• Thanks to the generous contributors to Freesound.org for two key sounds for this episode: office ambience, and Lego bricks.
• And thanks also to the musicians of Blue Dot Sessions for this quirky song. Other music from Storyblocks.
• As I was audio editing this piece, I realized that one of the ingredients in the creative stewpot had been the lovelorn caveman persona from the short story "I love girl," by Simon Rich. Enjoy!

Are you working on your narrative podcast with the hope that winning an Ambie or hitting a million downloads will make you happy? Let's take a few minutes to think about it. I'm inspired by a very successful friend to mull over why we do creative work, how we deal with critics, and what creative living can look like.

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Show notes:

• Sometimes you have to let idea rest and then come back to it: I started this draft a year ago after "Sam" first told me about interviewing for this other position, but in that initial draft, I just introduced the general theme and summarized Sam's accomplishments. That draft was OK, but a bit weak on the characterization. But then opening it again last week, the college anecdotes came out, which makes it a more interesting and effective piece. Then, after recording version 7 of the script, I was still about 30 seconds over, so I went in and listened and reread and cut some more.
• Hunter S. Thompson's letter to his friend about vocation
• Laura's interview with acclaimed author Anthony Doerr for Shelter in Place.
• How do you find ways of functioning that fulfill you regardless of outcome? Simply reflecting on the times you've been happiest at work (or pursuing hobbies or volunteering) can help. I'd also recommend a work-oriented personality test like Strengths Finder, or more broadly, general personality tests such as the Enneagram, Myers-Briggs, or Big Five. P.S. Truity, the leader in online personality testing, was one of my freelance clients a little while back — a very fulfilling client to work with!

What happens when you try to write an entire ten-minute podcast script without using is, am, are, and were? What happens when you follow a rule (and a profession) that encourages brevity above all else? What happens when you're afraid you don't have any big ideas? Listen and find out.

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Show notes:

• This script started as an early-morning creative constraint free write (avoiding forms of the verb "to be," but took seven more drafts to discover a satisfying conclusion. (Does that make you feel better? Stick with it!)

• The Elements of Style, rule 17 (Note, I updated pronouns because it's 2025.)

• Longinus, On the Sublime (the power of great conceptions)

• Oops, I misquoted — Dr. Seuss only used 50 words to write Green Eggs and Ham!

• And thanks to a few musicians from Blue Dot Sessions (supplementing my usual music source of Storyblocks): "Picnic March," and "Temperance."

What's your timeline for developing as a creator? How long does it take to become a "master" as painting, podcasting, or another art form? A humorous commute moment inspired this reflection on the creative journey, with some perspective on being patient with ourselves and motivation.

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Show notes:

• Making-of note: most of my episodes begin as text documents, but for this one, I recorded a voice memo while driving right after seeing the sign that sparked the idea. I then uploaded that voice memo to Descript, exported the transcript, then edited three more drafts in TextEdit. Then to get under 10 minutes with intro and credits, I cut about 45 seconds' worth of spaces and mouth clicks from the first recording.
• Successful novelists who debuted in their 40's or later.
• Two earlier episodes where I tried the "in the style of" master study are "Happy birthday to me," (David Foster Wallace), and "Big two-hearted writer" (Ernest Hemingway).
• La Sagrada Familia, the contemporary cathedral in Barcelona that has been under construction for over a century.
• Stephen King on waiting for inspiration vs. getting to work

Have you ever had an argument with your partner or roommate about loading the dishwasher, straightening up the living room, or how you handle some other household task? Does your spouse's habit of doing _______ drive you crazy? This episode's for you. For this one, we go into our basement, get a look at a little family history, and emerge with some helpful observations for tackling big creative projects — especially the importance of editing your work.

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Show notes:

• Get a few quick script editing tips in step three of this post
• 17 successful authors on their editing process
• The value of precise cuts in audio editing
• How to fold a fitted sheet

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Are you willing to go through the equivalent of editing the stories waiting for you in your mental storage bins? Have the discipline to embark on a self-paced online course? Our narrative podcasting course is for you (covering everything from self-discovery exercises to scriptwriting, editing, sound design, interviews, and workflows).

Years ago, I was trying to get into advertising, but failing, so I ended up doing manual labor for a while instead. It was a dirty, frustrating, paid-in-cash period — but resulted in some valuable life skills, and a perfect illustration for a universal story structure you can put to use in scriptwriting for your narrative podcast.

In the first half of the episode, I tried to recreate a rich sense of scene with sound effects, and also use them in a rhythmic, almost musical manner. How did I do?

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Show notes:

• Kurt Vonnegut "the shapes of stories" video
• The ancient mythology equivalent of "person in hole," the Greek term "katabasis" for a journey to the underworld
• Studio Shed, our backyard office
• Outdoor-sports philosopher Brendan Leonard's post, "the benefits of discomfort is where I encountered the Kelly McGonigal quote."
• Freesound contributors: hammer, nail gun, pounding nails, hand saw, hammer, power saw, city ambience.

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Do you have other questions about creating a narrative podcast, like how to write a script, where you get story ideas, or how to make a podcast trailer? See our tips here.

Are you grieving something? Do you doubt your parenting when your kids have a hard time? Are you seeing younger generations going through the same things you did (or did to others)? This one's for you.

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• A better recording of Pacific Boychoir Academy singing the national anthem (and other videos)
• Graph of time with kids
• Another favorite national anthem scene (beauty transcending a slightly more destructive administration)
• Thanks to everyone who's uploaded to freesound.org, and to musicians at Blu Dot Sessions: Taoudella, Angelino

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Want to learn how to write your own personal essay podcasts about the hard, or heartwarming things in your life? We cover scriptwriting a lot in our online podcast course.

Do you ever struggle to avoid distraction when you're supposed to be writing? Or do you have a dog? This episode's for you. My daughter's recent dog-sitting gig gives me a great prompt for the challenges of "staying on the sidewalk" when scriptwriting, sharing some of my typical distractions, and then passing on my most valuable practice for staying on task.

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Show notes:

• Muttville — adoption center for older dogs who need a new home
• Tony Schwartz, The Rhythm of Great Performance
• A "master study" can be done by typing or hand-writing out a passage from a great work, or more loosely, by reading a passage you admire, then starting your own piece in that writer's style. I did the latter with a few recent episodes, Big Two-Hearted Writer (Hemingway) and Happy Birthday to Me (David Foster Wallace).
• And yes, my Buck voice was inspired by Doug from UP

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If you want to learn our other key scriptwriting practices, as well as recording and narration, audio editing, sound design, interviewing, and the other skills you need to make a great narrative podcast, check out our self-paced online course.